Sopa de cactus

Gr 1-4-First popularized by Marcia Brown's Stone Soup (Aladdin, 1997), this classic French folktale has been transplanted by Kimmel to take place during the Mexican Revolution. When the poor peasants of San Miguel get notice of soldiers passing through, the town's mayor quickly urges them to hide all their food and animals. Everyone should look hungry and poor to scare away the ravenous troops. However, after a single cactus thorn thrown in a pot of hot water evolves into a grand feast, the villagers learn the lesson that it is better to share what you have than to hoard your belongings. The watercolor-and-ink illustrations include tall, slender characters that accurately depict the effects of hunger. Also, soldiers appropriately use swords to chop the vegetables into the pot. Created in true Mexican fashion, the story and illustrations include sandals, sombreros, and sarapes. A sound translation, this edition will surely appeal to the many young Spanish-speaking readers in the country. Recommended for bookstores and libraries.-Paul M. Kienlen, Northside ISD Bilingual/ESL Department, San Antonio, TX (Little Spot)Le Néouanic, Lionel. Gr 1-2-In the vein of Leo Lionni's Little Blue and Little Yellow (Harper Trophy, 1995), this picture book features a black inkblot, Pequeña Mancha. When the two bigger inkblots that are her parents send her out to play and look for new friends, Manchita moves to different parts of the white page. When she finally encounters Circle, Triangle, Rectangle, Rhombus, and Square, things don't go as planned. They all make fun of Manchita because she has no form; they call her ugly and ask her to leave. She goes home crying. With the support of her parents-who remind her of her uniqueness and talents-the protagonist finds the courage she needs to go back to the group. Manchita surprises everyone with her ability to change form: she can become a scary monster, a funny face, even an elephant. Impressed with her skill, the geometrical figures ask her to play with them. When Manchita eagerly teaches them how to transform themselves, a colorful party of nonsense shapes ensues. This is a useful book to discuss the acceptance of others who are different from us and how each person has something to contribute. Recommended for elementary and public libraries.-Veronica Covington, Univ. of Texas, Austin (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved All rights reserved.

In this Spanish-language version of his Cactus Soup, Kimmel sets ""Stone Soup"" in revolutionary Mexico. When a group of soldiers comes to town, the inhabitants hide their food, but the clever captain tricks them into bringing out their snacks and having a party. The Spanish text is read-aloud ready, and the desert-hued watercolor and ink illustrations perfectly communicate mood and setting. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.